World of Swords, Raxia
The Legend of Creation The Swords of Creation Raxia, a world produced by swords. When the world was formed, three swords were used to carve existence out of nothing. These three swords — Rumiel, Ignis, and Kardia — became known as the Swords of Creation. The very act of creating the world infused each of these blades with near-limitless magic. The origins of the Swords themselves is shrouded in mystery, as no one knows where they came from or by whose hand they were forged. When magic was used to try and divine their origins, it was revealed that the Swords were discovered when the world was naught but wilderness, and were scattered over the ages. The Swords wanted to be used. They got their wish, and scattered the seeds of life throughout the lands. However, as the plants and animals grew from nothing and prospered, the Swords of Creation were left unused, unable to exert their will the fledgling lifeforms. So the Swords began to search, seeking a spirit of life with which to craft a soul. It is from this first soul that arose the first sentient being. In short, from the Swords was born the first human. These souls give humans their own personal hearts and minds. By becoming individual personalities, humans break away from the lesser animals. Birth of the Divine Ancestor It is unknown how long the Swords languished, until one day one person noticed the sword they held was Rumiel, the First Sword. Rumiel believed this person to be a worthy holder, and thus empowered the wielder immensely. The power to move the heavens and the earth, to make the sea roil and jump; these powers increased greatly when in the hands of one chosen by the Sword. As is natural of people, they looked upon Rumiel and its wielder with awe and worshipped the Sword. After a time, the wielder of the Sword, the "Divine Ancestor" took the name Lyfos, the God of Creation, and the people of his land were called the "Little People". Lyfos was known for his mild temperament, and chose to use the Sword to carve a better place for him and his people. With the power to change the world, Lyfos took to a pilgrimage, teaching his people the basics of culture. However, Lyfos could not teach all of his people by himself, and so took a close group of followers and gave them some of Rumiel's power to aid in his mission. Thus was the extend of Lyfos' desire to see harmony in the world. It was from this splitting of Lyfos' power that many other gods were born. The "Little People" also divided, as the differrent environments began to spawn different races. The Elves and Dwarves arose from this split, each with their own separate cultures and habits. However, with the gods' divine insight, the races turned not to war, but to harmony and co-operation. It was a very happy time. Divine Conflict Such peace was not to last, however. After a short time, another man came forward with the Second Sword of Creation, Ignis. He, like Lyfos, was chosen by the Sword and received incredible power from it. However, this man did not share Lyfos' temper or attitude, and selfishly kept the Sword. He used it to meet his own needs before those of another's, and formulated a plan to conquer Raxia. The first of the malevolent gods, the man introduced himseld as Dalkurem, the God of War. He also revealed that he was building an army to overthrow the forces of Lyfos. Dalkurem began to experiment, to try and create the perfect warrior for his army. By corrupting the soul of a creature, he found that the resulting monster did not restrain itself on the field of battle. Using this technique to create different monstrous races, Dalkurem corrupted the creatures of the land and successfully created an army of evil. With this army, Dalkurem challenged Lyfos' right to rule. The War of the Gods had begun. At the onset of the battle, those who fought under Dalkurem had the advantage, as Lyfos' people did not initially possess the means to fight back. However, Dalkurem's forces began to weaken, due to a couple of factors. The first sign of Dalkurem's eventual downfall was the cooperation of the Little People against the forces of evil. In addition, some of Dalkurem's subordinates were just as selfish as their commander, and the Second Sword Ignis was stolen from him. The Second Sword was passed around to many of the high-ranking subordinates, and their corrupt forms gave birth to new malevolent gods. With his power base destabilized, Dalkurem began to lose control over his forces. In this moment of weakness, Lyfos and Rumiel seized the opportunity to attack the forces of evil. Dalkurem's forces, while they were in disarray, now had not only Dalkurem but the new gods born from Ignis' power to lead them. What was thought to be a relatively short battle became a long war, with no forseeable end in sight. Victory would not be so easily won by either side. Sword of Grief This stalemate lasted for quite some time, with each side looking for something that would tip the balance in their favor. That something would end up being the final Sword of Creation, the Third Sword, Kardia. However, Kardia did not wish to be used in battle against another Sword of Creation. Thus, the third sword chose to shatter into pieces rather than be used for good or ill. As a result, the shards of Kardia, now seen as crystals of incredible magical power, scattered to the ends of the earth. With the Third Sword now unable to aid one or the other, the Swords Rumiel and Ignis were again at a stalemate. This was soon remedied, as both the First Sword Rumiel and the Second Sword Ignis were lost in a long and arduous battle. Little by little, the battles end, and an uneasy ceasefire hangs over the battlefield. With this, the gods fell into a long sleep to heal their wounds...... From Myths to Modern Times Thus, the Little People were left alone in the world. With the gods who built the current civilizations either lost or sleeping from the incredible battles they fought, the Little People are embarking on a new journey, starting an adventure in this new era. However, the concepts of "Harmony", espoused by the humanoids who followed Lyfos and the First Sword Rumiel, and "Freedom", carried on by the Barbaros who were born of Dalkurem and the Second Sword Ignis, still come into conflict with one another to this day. The hours have turned into days, which became months, becoming years, then hundreds and soon thousands of years. Both sides have developed cultures, cultures that have fought, fallen into decline and are reborn again. Entire civilizations have come and gone, lost to the sands of time. And now. The world begins to enter the fourth era of civilization. The fate of the world remains blank, awaiting the hand and will of one strong enough to write it. Not even the gods themselves can foresee the future... Swords Swords of Creation These three swords were said to be present at the beginning of the world, known as the Swords of Creation. The First Sword, "The Sword of Harmony" - Rumiel The Second Sword, "The Sword of Freedom" - Ignis The Third Sword, "The Source of Mana" - Kardia These names began with the Little People, and future generations have continued to refer to the Swords as such. The legends held that the powers of any one of the Three Swords is equal to that of the others; however, their real intentions were lost in time and could not be discerned. Therefore, legends told of Kardia being the Sword that had the best intentions, as it did not wish to be used against the others. It's also thought that when Kardia shattered, the followers of Rumiel and Ignis blamed each other and flung themselves back into conflict. Even after the age of mythology, there were still a great many gods, some of which boldly set out to find the remaining two Swords and claim their power. Yet Rumiel and Ignis still sleep, hidden away to wait for a suitable wielder. For more detail on the relationship of the Swords and the gods, please refer to Deities of Raxia. Forging Magic Swords In Raxia, a great many magical swords have been made since the War of the Gods. Lyfos allowed his people to use the Sword of Creation to create replicas for their own use, copies that are not nearly as poweful as the original yet retain a little of Rumiel's magic. One useful thing about these copy swords was that normal humans were able to wield them without needing a divine spark. However, those replicas that were forged within the first three generations of replication hold much greater power, and those who wield such swords feel as though they hold some of Lyfos' power as well. Labyrinth of the Magic Swords Replicated "Swords of Creation" that were closer to the original seem to carry some unusual powers within them. This power reflects the consciousness of the first owners, forcing its reality into a nearby labyrinth. It is said that the original owners were hateful and delusional, and did not want their copies to fall into others' hands with ease. It is thus that these swords were confined to a labyrinth. Since such distorted thoughts were behind the creation of the labyrinths, traps and monsters that would find the place rather inhospitable may be found inside anyway. Yet, those who are able to conquer a sword evil enough to create a labyrinth are said to have a great power within themselves. Adventurers who delve into these depths hope that they are the one, and yet such labyrinths are not uncommon even today. Of course, such dungeons are dangerous and complex places, in order to hide these magical artifacts. Demons are often summoned to protect it, tailor-made to be dangerous guards. Also, if the intent to find one of these swords is strong, great treasures may be conjured up to distract and waylay would-be hunters. It is thus that a sword will allow one it finds worthy to wield it, even among a full adventuring party. There are those who would sell information about various swords and their purposes, but they are quite expensive even for adventurers. most, if not all, of these labyrinths are also trapped, but adventure and death often go hand-in-hand. A person who travels to the deepest part of the labyrinth and claims the sword becomes its Lord. In many cases, a sword will not accept one who is just beginning, but will seek out those with experience. Young adventurers who try and use these weapons will often find the sword falling out of its sheath, strangely becoming heavy, or not even there at all! There are many cases in which a labyrinth exists, and the sword interred inside has gone missing. In these cases, Barbaros and Mythical Beasts tend to make their way into such labyrinths and settle there. Among labyrinths, one of the largest is an underground megadungeon, and boasts more than 50 floors. It is said that over 100 adventurers have attempted to brave the depths, and not one has made it to the final floor. Around such large labyrinths, towns and cities often spring up, serving those who come to attempt the labyrinth's depths. "Swords of Protection" A "Sword of Protection" holds a power that can prevent impurity from entering one's body. These swords were originally forged as replicas of the original Rumiel, and it is thought that the Magitech Civilization of Al Menas was the first and largest producer of these reproductions. It is thought that the sheer number of replica Rumiels helped to drive the Barbaros away from civilized lands and into the underground. Those who approach one of these swords and have some amount of spiritual impurity (typically through resurrection) begin to feel increasingly uneasy, to the point of painfulness. The more impure one's spirit is, the greater pain and discomfort the sword inflicts, so even powerful Barbaros are not immune. This effect combined with the effects of spiritual impurity has led to the creation of undead, those unfortunate souls who were too impure to wield a sword but also could not leave its presence. Conversely, if a person has a small amount of impurity, they are not affected as harshly. Also, the swords will not react to the natural impurity of Nightmares, though any accumulated on top of that does count. In mechanical terms, a character starts to feel pain and discomfort if they are at the 3rd Effect Stage of impurity or higher. While the Great Catastrophe caused a great many of these swords to be lost, there were some swords that had cities and castles built around their power. These swords still maintain their power to drive away the Barbaros, and numerous stories exist of a sword's power saving one town or another. In order to maintain this power, however, those swords still active need to absorb Sword Shards, which are more often than not found in the hands of one Barbaros or another. While their true identity is unknown, these small pieces of sharp metal have become known as Sword Shards due to theie appearance. A Sword Shard is an interesting piece of magic, able to be absorbed into one's body. It tends to be readily apparent if a creature is in possession of a Sword Shard, as it tends to be visible on the skin (often around the forehead and chest, if applicable). Occasionally, Shards will not break the skin while the creature is alive, but death will show the presence of any Shards the creature may have absorbed. Sword Shards are often found among humanoids and Barbaros, though reports exist of animals, mythical beasts, and even plants holding a Shard or two. Shards are typically attracted to creatures with superior abilities and powers, so Barbaros leaders tend to absorb quite a few Sword Shards over their lifetime. When it comes to absorbing Sword Shards, Barbaros tend to have the highest concentration of Shards per member out of any group, while plants rarely get in contact with a Shard. Humanoids, animals, and mythical beasts also have high frequencies of Sword Shards as well, but not nearly in the numbers that the Barbaros do. For humanoids, however, these Sword Shards have a special importance, as mentioned earlier. A "Sword of Protection", used to repel Barbaros from civilized areas, requires Sword Shards to maintain its power. Therefore, many kings, temples, and even the Adventurer's Stores have taken to offering rewards for the recovery of Sword Shards. There are also cases of adventurers for recovering Sword Shards receiving lavish and extravagant gifts, including famous draft, racing and war horses being offered up to the heroes. Sword Shards collected to power the "Swords of Protection" are further shattered into a fine powder, and their power is transferred via numerous rituals. This power can be maintained for quite a while, given enough Shards, and can repel Barbaros and undead rather easily. Thus, Shards are always being looked for to preserve the various wards. Sword Shards can also be sold to the Adventurer's Store for 200G per Shard, though most adventurers have taken to donating the Shards free of cost to the Store. Presence of a Fourth Sword For the most part, the Legend of Creation was said to have three Swords of Creation. However, there have been some heretical rumors that there was at least four Swords of Creation. The fourth Sword is said to be the legendary sword Faulton, with the nicknames "Sword of Destiny" or the "Broken Sword of the Gods". While ancient relics and books have not been found that can comfirn its existence, the story is famous throughout the world. According to the stories, it is said that as the Battle of the Gods passed into legend and their last rites were spoken, this Sword will convey those words as its purpose. And as its own name is spoken, it is said to be able to slay the Gods. Because it is still said to be sleeping in Raxia, those who seek its power and believe the stories are far too numerous to count. One who is said to wield the Faulton, the "Broken Sword of the Gods", is said to be able to fulfull any desire. Many heroes and brave men fought through the War of the Gods to find this Sword, and the one who wields it is said to be without equal on the battlefield. Tradition also says that it will grant one's wish, but in doing so will not only turn the wielder to stone, but the sword will disappear again, to be found by another it deems worthy. Inhabitants of Raxia Humanoids placeholder Barbaros placeholder Mana placeholder Faeries placeholder Runefolk and Generators placeholder The Soul and "Impurity" placeholder Undead placeholder Cycle of the Heavenly Bodies placeholder History of Lacusia Divine Civilization - Shunela Period placeholder Magic Civilization - Durandal Period placeholder Magitech Civilization - Al Menas Period placeholder Great Catastrophe - Diabolic Triumph placeholder Present Times placeholder Deities of Lacusia Divine Hierarchy placeholder Ancient Gods and Religions placeholder Major Gods placeholder Minor Gods placeholder